Looking for ideas for repurposing your glass recycling box?

If you live in East Sussex (not including Brighton) your recycling just got easier – you can now recycle everything in the same bin!

Great news for those early morning dashes to get the recycling out;  you no longer need to separate glass from the rest of your recycling. It can all go in your main recycling bin! But what can you do with the glass recycling box that is no longer needed?

How to repurpose your glass recycling box

Use it for storage:

  • Give it a quick clean and keep it indoors to pop your recycling in before transferring the contents to your recycling bin.
  • Use it store items that aren’t collected at kerbside. Did you know that there is an organisation that collects materials not usually collected by your local council? TerraCycle uses drop off points to collect and recycle everything from crisp packets, pet food pouches, toothbrush heads, to pens. Once your box is full, take it to your nearest drop off site.
  • Depending on the size of your car, you could keep it in the boot of your car for muddy wellies.
  • Ask your local school if they could use the box as part of the upcycle project.
  • Use it for messy play! Your kids can use it to play with mud, foam, slim, sand and other stuff you may not want in your house.
  • Use it to store garden equipment and tools.
  • Repurpose it for storage in your garage for items such as outdoor Christmas lights.
  • During the summer it can feel like your garden is over taken by your children’s toys. You can use the box to help store them away and reclaim your space (even if it’s only for an evening).

Use it to help local wildlife:

  • Use the box as a planter and create a herb garden to attract wildlife. All you need to do is drill some holes into the bottom of the box.
  • Line it with some thick plastic and create a mini pond to help frogs, toads, newts and other pond animals.
  • With some careful cutting, you could use it to create a place for hedgehogs to hibernate in between November and March. Hollie, from Polegate, used her glass recycling box to create one. You can see how she did it with step-by-step photos here: How to build a hedgehog house.

Your glass box will not be collected by district and borough councils, so if you really don’t wish to re-use the box, you can dispose of it at your local Household Waste Recycling Site.